Components for three-dimensional industrial model



-vOrigirau Filed Nov. 12, 1954 Aug. 12, 1958 O J. R.PARKER r2,846,781

COMPONENTS FOR MEE- OINENSIONAL INDUSTRIAL MODEL.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY No.3 I' u I Aug. 12, 1958 Y J. R. PARKER2,846,781

COMPONENTS Fon THREEDIMENSI0NAL 11\1`D131sr`mm. MODEL Original FiledNov. 12. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheer, 2

INVENToR.

JACK R. PARKER ATTORNEY United States Patent Cee 2,846,78i Patented Aug.12, 1958 CMPONENTS FOR THREE-DIIVIENSIONAL INDUSTRIAL MODEL .lack R.Parker, Malverne, N. Y.

Continuation of application Serial No. 468,340, November 12, 1954. Thisapplication May 26, 1955, Serial No. 511,192

3 Claims. (el. .ss-1s) This invention relates to apparatus for designingan industrial plant layout and, more particularly, to interchangeablecomponents useful in constructing, 'and modifying during construction, athree-dimensional model of such layout. This application is acontinuation of my co-pending application Serial No. 468,340, now PatentNo. 2,738,584, filed November l2, 1954.

As described in said co-pending application, the customary way ofplanning and designing an industrial plant layout, such as a chemicalplant or refinery, for example, is to draw scale plans, elevations andsections of each floor on paper. The various items of equipment andtheir connections, such as fluid lines, piping, wiring, etc, weresketched in tentatively, and then erased or re-drawn as often asnecessary to work out their ultimate locations with required clearancesand working spaces.

While this procedure is laborious, costly, and time consuming ingeneral, it is particularly so in designing refineries, ychemical plantsand like apparatus due to the necessity for proper location andorientation of manholes, handholes, valves, etc. for access from workingstations.

An improvement on this procedure has been the preparation of scale plansof the various levels or floors and the use of scale plan cutouts orthree-dimensional models of the several equipment units. These model-sare moved around the scale plan drawings until the desired locations andorientations are achieved. The units must then be sketched onto the plandrawings and their connections drawn in. Vi/hile this has saved sometime, it is still costly as accurate scale models of each piece ofequipment must be provided for each new layout.

The improved model forming apparatus described in said co-pendingapplication includes a metal plate which is scribed with perpendicularlyrelated longitudinal and lateral lines forming Ia grid of squarescorresponding to the scale of the three-dimensional model. Each of theunits or items of equipment to be mounted on the plate has a magnetizedbase or foundation so that, when positioned on the plate, it will remainin place.

Structural shapes and members are prefabricated to scale of metal orplastic, and joined by dowelled connection pieces to form supports foroverhead piping. These shapes and members are provided with magnetizedbases for ready adherance to the scaled foundation plate.

The piping used is plastic extrusions, either solid orv tubular, in allscale diameters including covering insulation. Connections, such as Ts,bends, elbows, loops, etc. are cast or prefabricated from such tubing,and joints are formed by tubular collars receiving the ends of thepiping or its connections. The plastic pipe can be easily cut or sawedto appropriate lengths, andv can be appropriately colored foridentification.

ln the planning of some types of industrial plants, racks are providedto carry piping of various types, as in oil refineries, 4chemicalplants, and power plants. Dur` ing the initial stages of designinvolving the construction of a three-dimensional model of the plant, itmay not be known how large these racks should be or whether they shouldhave one or several elevations of piping. The present inventioncomprises, as one feature, a structural bent or pipe rack modelconstruction by means of which additional elevations may be added atwill without any effect on the initial elevation.

One of the greatest disadvantages of conventional model construction isthe fact that when it is necessary to install small diameter piping forcontrol stations, bypasses, bleed-off lines, samplers, steam tracing,etc., a considerable amount of soldering must be performed. Wire ofcopper, brass or other metal is employed. The wire may represent pipinghaving an outside diameter of 1A 0. D. to 11/2" O. D., depending uponthe thickness and scale used. To insert the proper fittings into thewire, it is necessary to solder each end of the wire to each end of theappropriate fitting. In a model for a large plant, many hundreds ofhours are spent in this soldering procedure.

A feature of the invention involves a technique and apparatus foreliminating the necessity for such soldering.

As a further feature, the invention provides novel, interengageablecomponents for simulating air ducts in a three-dimensional industrialmodel.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made tothe following description of typical embodiments of the invention asillustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation View of a pipe rack or structural bentincorporating the invention; n

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a control piping layout and its connection tomain piping;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, of a portion of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective View of an air duct simulating systemembodying the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the system of Fig. 4.

Referring first to Fig. l of the drawings, a pipeV rack generallyillustrated at 10 is indicated as mounted on a paramagnetic support base15 comprising a sheet 16l of paramagnetic metal secured to a backingsheet 17 of plywood, plastic or the like. As set forth in saidco-pending application, sheet 15 may be marked on its upper surface witha grid of intersecting lines perpendicular to each other.

Rack 10 comprises uprights 11 reach having a magnetic base 15. Uprights11 are connected by a cross member or bent 13 which may be connected touprights 11 by dowels and may also be cemented thereto. If only oneelevation of piping is required, rack 10. comprises only the twouprights 11 and cross member 13.

During planning of the industrial plant, utilizing a partly completedthree-dimensional model, it often develops that an additional halflength or full length rack, at a higher elevation, must be added to theinitial rack comprising elements 11, 12 and 13. For this purpose, theupper ends of uprights 11 are formed with central holes 14- receivingdowel pins 21.

Should a second elevation 20 be required for the rack, a short uprightor Vertical member 22 has a half-length horizontal member 23 cementedthereto liush with its upper end. The lower end of member 22 is drilledor otherwise formed with a central vertical hole 24. The

3e for a full length upper rack section, a short upright 31, formed witha central vertical hole 32 and substantially equal in length to members24 and 26, is mounted on the other upright 11 by slipping pin 21 intohole 32. A support bracket 33 is secured to one side of upright member31 a short distance from its upper end.

The other half of the upper rack is then completed by forming one end ofa horizontal member with a central hole 34 to receive a pin 35. Rack 20is pivoted around pin 21, and pin 35 is inserted into hole 27 to mountmember 30 on rack section 20. The assembly is now swung back intovertical alignment with member 13, with the free end of member 30engaging upright 31 and resting on bracket shelf or ledge 33.

This procedure may be repeated for further elevations, if required, andwhen the planning is completed, all the parts are connected in position.The various structural components may be made of wood, rigid plastic, ormetal as desired.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the solderless connection of small diameterpiping in constructing the model. This small meter piping is simulatedby metal wire, such as copper, brass, or other reasonably flexible metalwire. The larger diameter piping is made of solid or tubular form beingshown, interconnected by dowel pins inserted in abutting ends. Thevarious sections of piping 40 are interconnected by dowel pins or byttings such as Ts which telescope over piping 40.

To provide solderless connectors between small diameter piping Wiresections Si) and 55, tubular sleeves 41 and 42 are inserted,respectively, into the heads 46 and stems 47 of Ts 45. These sleeves maybe made of wood, plastic, or metal, and have lengths equal to thelengths of the heads and stems.

Wire is connected to piping 40 by insertion into reducers 43 on the endsof piping 4d, and is also inserted through sleeves 41 in the heads 46 ofTs 4S. The wire 50, also representing small diameter piping, is insertedinto sleeves 42 in stems 47 of Ts 45. Model valves 51 and 52 may beformed with snap on means, such as curved resilient fingers or arms, forconnection to piping 40 or connected thereto by dowel pins.

In many cases, it is desired to indicate air ducting for industrialplants such as, for example, air conditioning ducts. Figs. 4 and 5illustrate three-dimensional model components for readily assemblingsuch ducting in scale form. The several duct sections are madeinterengageable and interchangeable by the use of dowel pins 61engageable in holes 62 in the ends or sides of the duct sections.Straight runs of ducts may be formed by interconnecting rectangularblocks of metal, wood, or plastic such as 63 and 64. A block 65, havinga stem 66 and arms 67 is utilized to make a T or branch connection,while square blocks 60, having a rounded outer corner 68 are used forcorner bends. A branch connection 69 is simulated by a somewhat narrowerrectangular block, indicating a smaller duct and disengageably securedto the side edge of straight run element 64 by dowel pins 67 engaged inholes 62 in the ends of element 69 and the side of element 64.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventionprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be otherwiseembodied without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in a three-dimensional scale model 0f an industrial plantincluding piping, a pipe supporting rack assembly comprising aparamagnetic metal foundation plate; a pair of first uprights eachhaving a supporting 4 base of magnetized metal for adherence to saidfoundation plate, each upright having a central hole in its upper endsurface to receive a dowel pin; a rst pipe supporting cross memberinterconnecting the upper ends of said uprights; a second upright memberhaving a central hole in its lower end surface to receive one of saiddowel pins to form an extension of one of said first uprights; a secondpipe supporting cross member, of less than the length of said firstcross member, secured to the upper end o-f said second upright andprojecting laterally therefrom; and a third upright secured to the outerend of said second cross member and extending downwardly therefrom tosupport the free end of said second cross member on said first member.

2. For use in a three-dimensional scale model of an industrial plantincluding piping, a pipe supporting rack assembly comprising aparamagnetic metal foundation plate; a pair of first uprights eachhaving a supporting base of magnetized metal for adherence to saidfoundation plate, each upright having a central hole in its upper endsurface to receive a dowel pin; a iirst pipe supporting cross memberinterconnecting the upper ends of said uprights; a second upright memberhaving a central hole in its lower end surface to receive one of saiddowel pins to form an extension of one of said irst uprights; a secondpipe supporting cross member, of less than substantially one-half thelength of said first cross member, secured to the upper end of saidsecond upright and projecting laterally therefrom; and a third uprightsecured to the outer end of said second cross member and extendingdownwardly therefrom to support the free end of said second cross memberon said tirst member.

3. For use in a three-dimensional scale model of an industrial plantincluding piping, a pipe supporting rack assembly comprising aparamagnetic metal foundation plate; a pair of first uprights eachhaving a supporting base of magnetized metal for adherence to saidfoundation plate, each upright having a central hole in its upper endsurface to receive a dowel pin; a rst pipe supporting cross memberinterconnecting the upper ends of said uprights; a second upright memberhaving a central hole in its lower end surface to receive one of saiddowel pins to form an extension of one of said first uprights; a secondpipe supporting cross member, of less than substantially o-ne-half thelength of said first cross member, secured to the upper end of saidsecond upright and projecting laterally therefrom; a third uprightsecured to the outer end of said second cross member and extendingdownwardly therefrom to support the free end of said second cross memberon said rst member; a fourth upright member having a central hole in itslower end surface to receive the other' of said firstnamed dowel pins toform an extension of the other of said first uprights; said thirdupright having a hole eX- tending transversely thereof and centrallyinto said second cross member to receive a second dowel pin; said secondand third uprights, 1interconnected by said second cross member, beingpivotal laterally about said iirstnamed dowel pin to receive a thirdcross member having a central hole in one end to receive said seconddowel pin; and a support secured to said fourth upright, adjacent itsupper end, to support the free end of said third cross member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

